A ceremony has been held as 5 British Army regiments merge together to form a new "super regiment" called The Rifles.....
Parades mark end of regiments
Cap badge ceremony ... 2nd Battalion The Light Infantry
By ONLINE REPORTER
February 01, 2007
A SPECIAL parade was held in the Scottish capital today to mark the formation of a new Army regiment - and the end of five existing ones.
The Edinburgh-based 2nd Battalion The Light Infantry has merged with four other battalions to create The Rifles - the largest infantry unit in the Army.
Soldiers from the battalion took part in a cap badge changing ceremony at their Redford Barracks base this morning, when the unit became the 3rd Battalion The Rifles.
Troops from four other regular units also held similar parades in England, Germany, Afghanistan and Iraq as they merged to become part of the new regiment.
The Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry, The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry, The Light Infantry and The Royal Green Jackets are all reforming as new Rifles battalions.
The Rifles is now the largest regiment of infantry in the Army, comprising five regular battalions, two TA battalions, three TA companies in two TA battalions, many Regimental Associations and 12,000 cadets - a quarter of the Army Cadet Force.
The new badge of The Rifles
thesun.co.uk
*************************************
On the 21st June 2006, the Light Division announced the future cap-badge for ‘The Rifles’ which will be formed in 2007. On 5th May Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II approved the cap-badge to be worn by the soldiers in a new and distinctive Regiment – The Rifles.
The elegant cap-badge is simple and yet encapsulates the famous history of the four Regiments that now comprise the Light Division. Further details of the historical origins and significance of the bugle horn can be found on the History and Traditions pages of this site. The back badge distinction worn by RGBWLI soldiers will be carried forward on certain forms of head dress and details of this can be found in the Dress and Uniforms pages of this site.
The 4 forming Regiments will join together to create a modern and forward-looking Regiment in February 2007 that will be the biggest Infantry Regiment in The British Army.The Rifles is the direct descendant of the Rifle Regiments and Light Infantry Light Companies brought to television screens in the series Sharpe’s Rifles, starring Sean Bean.
All four of the Former Regiments of The Rifles fought with distinction during the Battle of the Somme and representatives from across the Regimental Family will be attending the Annual Remembrance Service in Thiepval (France) on 1st July to commemorate the 90th Anniversary of the start of the Battle. The battle honour, “Somme” will be carried forward into The Rifles and worn on a belt-badge by all ranks as part of ceremonial dress.
Members of the Former Regiments were also the first troops to land in Normandy, some years later, when inserted in gliders at Pegasus Bridge at the start of D-Day.
Between them the four Regiments have amassed a staggering 913 battle honours and 123 Victoria Crosses (the highest award for gallantry in The British Army).
The Rifles are today, as they were throughout their antecedant regiments histories, at the forefront of British military operations - being the "Best" is not good enough!
army.mod.uk
************************************************
The Rifles is a British Army Regiment that was created as a result of the Future Army Structure. Announced on 24 November 2005 by the Ministry of Defence, The Rifles was formed on 1st February 2007 by the amalgamation of the four light infantry and rifles regiments of the Light Division:
The Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry
The Light Infantry
The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry
The Royal Green Jackets
The two existing battalions each of the Light Infantry and the Royal Green Jackets were renamed, while the single battalions of the DDLI and the RGBWLI were merged into one battalion. This brought the whole of the Light Division under a single cap badge.
The new regiment has 5 regular and 2 Territorial Army Battalions.
1st Battalion - amalgamation of the 1st Battalion, Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry and the 1st Battalion, Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry
2nd Battalion - redesignation of the 1st Battalion, Royal Green Jackets
3rd Battalion - redesignation of the 2nd Battalion, The Light Infantry
4th Battalion - redesignation of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Green Jackets
5th Battalion - redesignation of the 1st Battalion, The Light Infantry
6th (V) Battalion - redesignation of the Rifle Volunteers
7th (V) Battalion - redesignation of the Royal Rifle Volunteers, minus the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment company, plus the Royal Green Jacket companies of the London Regiment
On formation, The Rifles became as the county regiment of the following counties:
Berkshire
Buckinghamshire
Cornwall
Devonshire
Dorset
Durham
Gloucestershire
Oxfordshire
Shropshire
Somerset
South Yorkshire
Wiltshire
As a rifle regiment, a private soldier in The Rifles is known as a Rifleman; the regiment wears a standard rifle green beret. A number of golden threads have been brought into the new regiment from each of its founder regiments:
* Croix de Guerre - the French Croix de Guerre ribbon awarded to the Devonshire Regiment in World War I, and subsequently worn by the Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry, is worn on both sleeves of No. 1 and No. 2 dress.
* Back Badge - the badge worn on the back of headdress that was awarded as an honour to the 28th Foot, and subsequently worn by the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry is worn on the forage cap and side hat, and on the shako of the regimental band and bugles.
* Bugle Horn - the bugle horn badge of the Light Infantry is the regiment's cap badge.
* Maltese Cross - the Maltese Cross of the Royal Green Jackets is worn as a buckle on the cross belt, and will contain the regiment's representative battle honours. In accordance with the tradition of the Rifles, the regiment does not carry colours.
* Black Buttons - the traditional black buttons of a rifle regiment are worn on all forms of dress with the exception of combat dress.
The new regiment's five battalions have fixed roles - the 2nd and 3rd Battalions are roled as light infantry, while the 4th and 5th Battalion will remain as mechanised and armoured infantry respectively. The 1st Battalion will be assigned to 3 Commando Brigade, where it will serve as the brigade's fourth battalion alongside the three commandos of the Royal Marines. It remains to be seen whether HM The Queen will grant The Rifles the honorific "Royal" at some point in the future. HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (Colonel-in-Chief, RGBWLI) will be the new regiment's Colonel-in-Chief, but each battalion has its own Royal Colonel:
1st Battalion, The Rifles HRH The Duke of Kent (Colonel-in-Chief, DDLI)
2nd Battalion, The Rifles HRH The Earl of Wessex
3rd Battalion, The Rifles HRH Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy
(Colonel-in-Chief, LI)
4th Battalion, The Rifles HRH The Duchess of Cornwall
5th Battalion, The Rifles HRH The Countess of Wessex
6th (V) Battalion, The Rifles HRH The Duke of Gloucester
7th (V) Battalion, The Rifles HRH The Duchess of Gloucester
wikipedia.org
Parades mark end of regiments
Cap badge ceremony ... 2nd Battalion The Light Infantry
February 01, 2007
A SPECIAL parade was held in the Scottish capital today to mark the formation of a new Army regiment - and the end of five existing ones.
The Edinburgh-based 2nd Battalion The Light Infantry has merged with four other battalions to create The Rifles - the largest infantry unit in the Army.
Soldiers from the battalion took part in a cap badge changing ceremony at their Redford Barracks base this morning, when the unit became the 3rd Battalion The Rifles.
Troops from four other regular units also held similar parades in England, Germany, Afghanistan and Iraq as they merged to become part of the new regiment.
The Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry, The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry, The Light Infantry and The Royal Green Jackets are all reforming as new Rifles battalions.
The Rifles is now the largest regiment of infantry in the Army, comprising five regular battalions, two TA battalions, three TA companies in two TA battalions, many Regimental Associations and 12,000 cadets - a quarter of the Army Cadet Force.
The new badge of The Rifles
thesun.co.uk
*************************************
On the 21st June 2006, the Light Division announced the future cap-badge for ‘The Rifles’ which will be formed in 2007. On 5th May Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II approved the cap-badge to be worn by the soldiers in a new and distinctive Regiment – The Rifles.
The elegant cap-badge is simple and yet encapsulates the famous history of the four Regiments that now comprise the Light Division. Further details of the historical origins and significance of the bugle horn can be found on the History and Traditions pages of this site. The back badge distinction worn by RGBWLI soldiers will be carried forward on certain forms of head dress and details of this can be found in the Dress and Uniforms pages of this site.
The 4 forming Regiments will join together to create a modern and forward-looking Regiment in February 2007 that will be the biggest Infantry Regiment in The British Army.The Rifles is the direct descendant of the Rifle Regiments and Light Infantry Light Companies brought to television screens in the series Sharpe’s Rifles, starring Sean Bean.
All four of the Former Regiments of The Rifles fought with distinction during the Battle of the Somme and representatives from across the Regimental Family will be attending the Annual Remembrance Service in Thiepval (France) on 1st July to commemorate the 90th Anniversary of the start of the Battle. The battle honour, “Somme” will be carried forward into The Rifles and worn on a belt-badge by all ranks as part of ceremonial dress.
Members of the Former Regiments were also the first troops to land in Normandy, some years later, when inserted in gliders at Pegasus Bridge at the start of D-Day.
Between them the four Regiments have amassed a staggering 913 battle honours and 123 Victoria Crosses (the highest award for gallantry in The British Army).
The Rifles are today, as they were throughout their antecedant regiments histories, at the forefront of British military operations - being the "Best" is not good enough!
army.mod.uk
************************************************
The Rifles is a British Army Regiment that was created as a result of the Future Army Structure. Announced on 24 November 2005 by the Ministry of Defence, The Rifles was formed on 1st February 2007 by the amalgamation of the four light infantry and rifles regiments of the Light Division:
The Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry
The Light Infantry
The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry
The Royal Green Jackets
The two existing battalions each of the Light Infantry and the Royal Green Jackets were renamed, while the single battalions of the DDLI and the RGBWLI were merged into one battalion. This brought the whole of the Light Division under a single cap badge.
The new regiment has 5 regular and 2 Territorial Army Battalions.
1st Battalion - amalgamation of the 1st Battalion, Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry and the 1st Battalion, Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry
2nd Battalion - redesignation of the 1st Battalion, Royal Green Jackets
3rd Battalion - redesignation of the 2nd Battalion, The Light Infantry
4th Battalion - redesignation of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Green Jackets
5th Battalion - redesignation of the 1st Battalion, The Light Infantry
6th (V) Battalion - redesignation of the Rifle Volunteers
7th (V) Battalion - redesignation of the Royal Rifle Volunteers, minus the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment company, plus the Royal Green Jacket companies of the London Regiment
On formation, The Rifles became as the county regiment of the following counties:
Berkshire
Buckinghamshire
Cornwall
Devonshire
Dorset
Durham
Gloucestershire
Oxfordshire
Shropshire
Somerset
South Yorkshire
Wiltshire
As a rifle regiment, a private soldier in The Rifles is known as a Rifleman; the regiment wears a standard rifle green beret. A number of golden threads have been brought into the new regiment from each of its founder regiments:
* Croix de Guerre - the French Croix de Guerre ribbon awarded to the Devonshire Regiment in World War I, and subsequently worn by the Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry, is worn on both sleeves of No. 1 and No. 2 dress.
* Back Badge - the badge worn on the back of headdress that was awarded as an honour to the 28th Foot, and subsequently worn by the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry is worn on the forage cap and side hat, and on the shako of the regimental band and bugles.
* Bugle Horn - the bugle horn badge of the Light Infantry is the regiment's cap badge.
* Maltese Cross - the Maltese Cross of the Royal Green Jackets is worn as a buckle on the cross belt, and will contain the regiment's representative battle honours. In accordance with the tradition of the Rifles, the regiment does not carry colours.
* Black Buttons - the traditional black buttons of a rifle regiment are worn on all forms of dress with the exception of combat dress.
The new regiment's five battalions have fixed roles - the 2nd and 3rd Battalions are roled as light infantry, while the 4th and 5th Battalion will remain as mechanised and armoured infantry respectively. The 1st Battalion will be assigned to 3 Commando Brigade, where it will serve as the brigade's fourth battalion alongside the three commandos of the Royal Marines. It remains to be seen whether HM The Queen will grant The Rifles the honorific "Royal" at some point in the future. HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (Colonel-in-Chief, RGBWLI) will be the new regiment's Colonel-in-Chief, but each battalion has its own Royal Colonel:
1st Battalion, The Rifles HRH The Duke of Kent (Colonel-in-Chief, DDLI)
2nd Battalion, The Rifles HRH The Earl of Wessex
3rd Battalion, The Rifles HRH Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy
(Colonel-in-Chief, LI)
4th Battalion, The Rifles HRH The Duchess of Cornwall
5th Battalion, The Rifles HRH The Countess of Wessex
6th (V) Battalion, The Rifles HRH The Duke of Gloucester
7th (V) Battalion, The Rifles HRH The Duchess of Gloucester
wikipedia.org
Last edited: